What the film lacks is the sheer range of characters that made the Toy Story films so enchanting.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 17, 2025

Despite some small throwbacks to “Toy Story,” Angus McLane’s film is a darn good time that can stand on its own two feet...

| Feb 3, 2024

The film offers a good balance between emotion and comedy, although at times the development of the action is hindered by the constant difficulties on Buzz. Despite this, Lightyear is a very entertaining proposal for both adults and children.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 28, 2023

Lightyear exceeds all expectations for me & truly goes to infinity & Beyond… an emotional thrilling space Epic that is a true marvel to see in IMAX. This is an incredible experience that I cannot wait to see again! One of Pixar’s Best.

| Jul 25, 2023

In nearly all ways, Lightyear is underwhelming. It’s shocking that this film was Pixar’s return to theatres after the pandemic. Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all would have made better theatrical releases than Lightyear.

| Jul 24, 2023

An adventure filled with tons of entertainment, inspiring messages, and breathtaking animation.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 23, 2023

"Lightyear" is frantic and colorful and the one hour and 40 minute runtime zips by, but it's confounding who exactly the movie is intended for.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 16, 2023

LIGHTYEAR is an approximation of what an energetic kid in the mid-90s would have glommed onto. It's a nostalgia bomb [of STAR WARS meets STAR TREK pastiche] and it works.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 6, 2023

Lightyear is an action-packed and visually stunning experience that puts less of a premium on Pixar’s legendary heartfelt comedy. Still, this is a future franchise that’s light-years in the making.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 2, 2023

It may not be Pixar's best movie, but it's definitely not their worst; it's the kind of vastly entertaining, emotional, heartfelt and humorous Pixar adventure we all expect from this iconic animation studio.

| Original Score: 7.5/10 | Dec 30, 2022

As Lightyear stumbles to make a compelling story on its own, it’s difficult to not get caught up in the incongruities.

| Dec 16, 2022

Lightyear is fun, summer popcorn fare. However it is unlikely to make the same cultural impact as it did in the Toy Story universe. If it makes enough money to inspire a sequel, Buzz’s legacy may continue to Infinity… but not beyond.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 13, 2022

Anything interesting about the character has been stripped from him, and what is left is a by-the-numbers science fiction film with a plot already mined out by generations of earlier movies.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 2, 2022

It's not a bad movie - reminiscent of 50s sci-fi where space exploration is at the heart of it all - but smacks of a genericness that lacks that particular passionately careful storytelling that Pixar is famous for.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 1, 2022

Lightyear was exciting, suspenseful, funny and heartfelt, and animated action film is a category I didn’t realize I was missing out on.

| Sep 28, 2022

A dubious feat of reverse engineering an IP into a commercial for itself, geared to administer doses of nostalgia to the Toy Story faithful and expand the lore of a character into a potential saga of his own.

| Aug 29, 2022

“Lightyear” offers plenty of pretty things to look at and one funny/adorable robot kitty. But it hardly reaches to infinity, and it certainly doesn’t go beyond.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 25, 2022

in relation to the Toy Story series, it lacks the heart-tugging depth that made those movies so memorable. Taken on its own, Lightyear is entertaining, suspenseful (but not too scary), full of action and fun – just right for a summer movie.

| Aug 23, 2022

To get the most fun you can from Lightyear, only one requirement needs to be met: don’t expect anything extending the Toy Story universe.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 12, 2022

Lightyear is fine, just fine. It inspires no greater superlatives.

| Aug 4, 2022